Harriet Beecher asserted that the most appropriate place for the woman was the home. She compared the home with the church claiming that it was the most holy of places to be (Bilhartz and Elliot, 65). She thus gave the woman the same role assigned to the priest at church calling her the “priestess”. The woman was virtually given three roles by Beecher; that of being a wife, being a priestess and being a mother. She is thus portrayed as a being of service to others educating the children within the family and inspiring the husband.
According to Robert Graves, women are in some way abstract thinkers. He claims that women and poetry are natural allies due to the women’s ability to think in an abstract manner. This shows that he regarded women as irrational beings (Bilhartz and Elliot, 112). He inter twinned the role of writing poetry to women saying the two could not be separated.
Being an abolitionists and advocates of women’s rights Sarah and Angelina Grimke were the very first activists of women rights and travelled far and wide enlightening the people. The Grimke’s were of the opinion that the woman too could rise into a more powerful position and that could be her position. They believed that the women were supposed to rise up and create a niche for themselves so that their voices could be heard (Bilhartz and Elliot, 154). Women were supposed to stand together to fight for their rights and also to eradicate slavery. In her creation story interpretation, Angelina clearly states that women were created as intelligent and unique beings who would accomplish the same responsibilities as the men.
The declaration writers were a group who signed the decoration document of the rights of every individual. The group consisted of 68 women and 32 men whose assertion was that the woman’s role was the same as that of man since they believed that all men and women were created equal (Bilhartz and Elliot, 190). Men as well as women then had the unalienable right of freedom, life and pursuit of happiness.
Work cited
Bilhartz, D. T. and Alan, C. Elliot. Currents in American history. New York:
M.E. Sharpe, 2007. Print.
